So, I dove into the novel, hoping
that the authorís introduction would reflect in all of the stories - some of the
most infamous in New Jersey
- with Elias Zwillenberg reviewing witness testimony
and backgrounds of claims, because the author is a skeptic. I was expecting
some debunking.

Unfortunately, he opened his novel
with one of the most hotly contested tales around: The Jersey Devil. I hate
to discount any tale, because I havenít experienced the Pine Barrens
or seen any
unnamed creature firsthand. I am a total believer in ghosts, but I have a hard
time with the legend of The Jersey Devil. Elias Zwillenberg also doesnít
help his case with the tale of The Paulinskill Troll. Sorry, but the last time
I saw a troll
it was in a Harry Pottermovie. Of course it would be
appropriate to see such a thing in a Harry Potter film, but in a haunted
stories bookÖnot so much. If you are a skeptic as you claim to be, then why the
creature double feature? After all, devils
and trolls are a lot harder to prove
than spirits.

The author also promises to have
spoken to actual witnesses. Well, most of the tales were told as if they were
legends. They start with a popular boy, but no one remembers his name. The
only credible evidence from some of the tales came from highly documented
stories such as the Spy House, which was actually profiled in an episode of
Syfyís Ghost Hunters. These tales have a large historical background to
explain the activity.

Most of the accounts in New Jersey
Haunts are too vague. The accounts of experience sounded almost like an
article one could find in Weird New Jerseyís magazines or books. There were
several references to Weird New Jersey, that I actually started to think Elias Zwillenberg had an affiliation with them.

There are some credible locations
that have been legitimately investigated by other organizations. These chapters
are worth the read if you havenít ever been introduced to these locations.

I have to say that New Jersey
Haunts was not what I was expecting. I truly felt let down. If the
introduction wasnít so strongly adamant about checking out the tales and only
having credible and convincing accounts, I might have been sold on the quicker
stories, such as Rose Hill Cemetery, featuring way too much hearsay and not
enough substance.

If you decide to
purchase this book, use it for what it is, a story book for kids sitting around
a campfire
or at a Halloween party as a way to scare some guests. Other than
that, this book was not one of the better collections of haunted tales
I have
read.